(New Brunswick, Canada) – AVSS, a Canadian aerospace manufacturer that develops guided and unguided parachute recovery systems, flight termination systems, and guided delivery systems, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a contract by the Government of Canada to integrate the Guided Parachute Recovery System (GPRS) and the Real-Time Intelligence Landing Software (RILS). The GPRS and RILS will be integrated on DroneUp’s Prism Sky platform which is used for last-mile delivery for Walmart and the blueflite’s Cobalt 46 platform.
During the contract, the Government of Canada will assess the GPRS’s capabilities in comparison to an unguided Parachute Recovery System (PRS). Key performance metrics will be determined by inducing failure scenarios from ASTM F3322, the gold standard of parachute recovery system testing and the testing will evaluate glide ratio performance, crosswind kinetic energy reduction, and dynamic safe landing zone selection.
The GPRS and RILS is an innovative safety technology stack built by AVSS. The GPRS is the hardware that enables the detection of a drone failure and the safe landing of the drone with guided controls. The GPRS plays a critical role in reducing the kinetic energy from crosswinds and helps reduce the critical area of a failure event. Seldomly discussed in the drone parachute industry, unguided parachutes can drastically exceed kinetic energy thresholds set by Civil Aviation Authorities when average wind speeds and gusts are calculated for operating limitations. The AVSS technology is also being designed to mitigate
the unintended consequence of a parachute deployment that drifts into unideal locations, such as in a tree, on a highway, or a substation.
The Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and Mohawk College’s Unmanned and Remote Sensing Innovation Centre will be testing the GPRS and RILS in Canada in February, 2024. The testing results will be shared by AVSS with industry and regulatory stakeholders for key performance metrics and creating relevant safety standards.
“AVSS has been developing this technology for several years and is excited to validate the system’s performance under harsh environmental conditions with these two drone platforms”, says Josh Ogden, CEO of AVSS. “When we began developing the GPRS, we believed strategic landing was the primary value proposition as it relates to JARUS’s SORA one-to-one rule. However, over the last two years, we’ve seen Civil Aviation Authorities and regulatory aficionados identify the important role of crosswinds in kinetic energy transfer when unguided parachute deployments occur (e.g., EASA M2 Mitigation, FAA OOP). These
stakeholders demonstrated tremendous excitement when we were able to demonstrate in
testing the reduction of crosswind kinetic energy with our mitigation maneuvers. This contract enables us to demonstrate the GPRS and RILS with reputable testing parties on industry-leading drone delivery platforms from DroneUp and blueflite.”
For more information about the GPRS and RILS, you can contact AVSS directly through their website at https://www.avss.co/
ABOUT AVSS: Founded in 2017, AVSS – Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions Inc. (AVSS) is a Canadian aerospace company commercializing drone technology for Urban Air Mobility. AVSS’s current products are ASTM F3322 parachute recovery systems for commercial drones, independent flight termination systems, and precision-guided delivery systems for last-mile delivery.
AVSS’s retrofit products (DJI M200, DJI M300 RTK, DJI M350 RTK) are distributed worldwide through their more than 50 authorized dealer network and sold directly to drone manufacturers across the world. AVSS also provides direct support to drone manufacturers and pilots who integrate the PRS product line for flight over people and BVLOS compliance, such as Skydio X10, Workhorse Horsefly. This includes the completion of several ASTM F3322 tests, BVLOS Special Flight Operator Certificate approvals in Canada, a custom Means of Compliance under review by the FAA for Operations Over People, and Light UAS Operator Certificate approved by EASA in Europe.
About DroneUp
DroneUp is a pioneering autonomous drone delivery company that specializes in providing innovative and efficient solutions for last-mile delivery. DroneUp’s proprietary autonomous technology is integrated with its ground infrastructure to provide affordable and scalable last-mile delivery. With a commitment to utilizing cutting-edge technology and a customer-centric approach, DroneUp is revolutionizing the way goods are transported, making delivery faster, safer, and more cost-effective.
Founded in 2016, DroneUp is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. DroneUp provides drone delivery service in 34 locations across six states for the #1 retailer in the world, Walmart, Inc.
For more information: https://www.droneup.com
ABOUT blueflite: Founded in 2018, blueflite designs and manufactures advanced drone systems and software for an integrated approach to cargo delivery. The company’s patented platform handles all aspects of logistics drone operations and provides a one-stop solution to solve logistics challenges globally. The unique, and all-electrical drone design has vertical take-off and landing capabilities, advanced maneuverability, and is built without compromise – to meet the rigorous demands of commercial operations. Whether packages are large or small, blueflite’s drone-based platform is built to scale in both size and quantity.
Operating through our proprietary logistics systems blueflite’s digital network is designed to
work with existing logistic solutions. For more information, visit www.blueflite.com